NYC Speaker Spotlight: Nicole Laughlin

Nicole Laughlin, EVP of Retail & Media at McClatchy , is joining the stage at Future Festival 2025 NYC on Tuesday, June 3, to challenge how we think about loyalty, impulse, and emotional decision-making in the modern retail landscape. With 15 years in agency leadership, a decade in retail, and two years at Meta, Nicole brings a uniquely holistic perspective on how consumer behavior is evolving -- and how brands need to catch up.

In her session, Nicole will spotlight the 'leakage' dilemma in grocery, pet, and health and beauty categories, revealing why traditional loyalty strategies are falling flat. She’ll unpack emotional drivers like FOMO, FORO, and joy addiction -- factors that account for the vast majority of impulse purchases yet remain largely untapped by current marketing models.

Nicole will also explore how AI can help brands move at the speed of emotion, reverse-engineer irrational behaviors, and reframe how we think about value and context. It’s a must-attend talk for marketers ready to lead with empathy, data, and innovation.

Join us from June 2-3 at Future Festival 2025 NYC, the best AI-driven innovation summit, and rethink everything you thought you knew about loyalty.